1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for carrying out marking of objects comprising: a support structure to be fastened to a bearing element; an engraving tool movable along a reference axis with respect to an object to be marked, between a contact position at which it intercepts said object to be marked and a disengagement position at which it is spaced apart from the same; movement means to move said engraving tool in a plane substantially normal to the reference axis.
The invention particularly applies to the sector involving surface marking of objects and/or articles of manufacture requiring one or more identification marks and/or surface-engraving operations of another type having technical and/or esthetical purposes for example.
2. Prior Art
It is known that said tooling operations are usually carried out by means of appropriate devices exploiting the properties of particular engraving tools that are capable of penetrating into the material forming the object to be marked so as to engrave it.
Generally, the engraving tools with which known marking devices are equipped are moved by a movement and positioning system within a preset working area, along Cartesian axes located in a support structure of the device itself.
The movement and positioning system is arranged to guide the engraving tool, upon direct command of a programmable electronic control unit, between a disengagement position, at which said tool is spaced apart from the surface of the object or workpiece being marked and an engagement position at which the engraving tool penetrates into said surface being marked.
The movement system is in addition adapted to move the engraving tool in a plane substantially parallel to the surface being marked so as to generate a surface furrow by means of the engraving tool disposed in the engagement position.
During execution of identification marks and/or surface signs of any other type, the engraving tools must be often moved away from the surface being marked to be then placed thereon again in a different position from that previously occupied. Movements of the engraving tool close to and away from the surface being marked exclusively depend on the design, pattern or inscription to be carried out which can also be particularly discontinuous.
A marking device similar to the one described above is disclosed in detail in document EP 0952008.
The foregoing being stated, the Applicant has found that, although known marking devices enable accomplishment of different identification marks and/or surface incisions of other type, they however have some drawbacks and are susceptible of improvements under different points-of view, mainly in connection with the quality of the engraving, efficiency and reliability of the device during execution of said engraving and duration of life and preservation of the engraving tools that presently appear to be brittle and expensive.
In fact, during the surface-engraving operations, the engraving tool can be subjected to jamming due to the resistance of the material being marked. Obviously, this phenomenon may cause damage to the workpiece, the engraving tool used and/or also the marking device itself, which will involve exceptional maintenance interventions and, as a result, additional production costs.
Tool-damaging and/or breaking phenomena can also easily occur due to interference of the engraving tool with the object being marked, should the tool for example be shifted from a point of the marking surface to another before its reaching the disengagement position.
Damage of the engraving tool may also depend on a quick displacement of same from the disengagement position to the engagement position. In fact, a sharp penetration into the surface to be marked may cause breaking of the tools, above all where particularly brittle and expensive tools such as diamond tools are concerned.
It is an aim of the present invention to solve the problems found in the known art and, in particular, to ensure duration of life of the engraving tool used.
It is a further aim of the invention to propose a marking device adapted to carry out surface incisions of excellent quality and reliability.
The foregoing and further aims that will become more apparent in the course of the following description, are substantially achieved by a marking device comprising at least one engraving rolling element rotatably engaged in a rolling seating-arranged in a housing body, in accordance with the features set out in the characterizing portion of claim 1 and/or in one or more of the subsequent claims.
In accordance with a further aspect, it is an aim of the invention to provide an engraving tool to be used on marking devices and comprising at least one engraving rolling element rotatably engaged in a rolling seating arranged in a housing body.